All This Time
by lonemirage14
Summary: One-Shot now expanded to full-length ... Stefan returns to Mystic Falls after being gone for over 50 years, not expecting what he finds ... don't want to give away too much!
1. Chapter 1: Whisper in the Wind

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any of the characters. I do however own the new characters introduced.**

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><p>Stefan stood on a hill in the woods behind the Gilbert house, focusing to hear what he could not yet see.<p>

"How's my favorite Grandma doing today?" He heard Damon ask in a joking manner.

"No better than yesterday." Elena replied, the self-deprecation in her voice evident.

"Oh don't pout, you don't look a day over 65."

"Haha Damon, you're so funny. Just remember: I may look older than you, but you will always, always be older than me."

Stefan could picture in his mind the smirk on his brother's face, a special one always saved for Elena, betraying that he secretly loved her biting, sarcastic comments crafted only for his brother.

He strode slowly through the woods, coming closer to the house, listening for anyone else that may be there. He could see Elena's window now, the same room she'd been in all her life, and caught a glimpse of Damon sitting next to her bed.

"Caroline says you're rejecting her blood. Why?"

Stefan froze at the statement, and forced himself to climb into a tree to see better.

"Damon, no amount of vampire blood is going to cure what's wrong with me. The cancer was too far gone by the time I found out, earlier maybe, it would've done something ..."

Stefan could see through the window that Damon had laid down next to Elena, who's gray hair, still thick and beautiful, was splayed across the pillow. He watched as Damon drew Elena to him, fingers in her hair, hand on the back of her head, and for the first time, in what seemed like a century, Stefan actually felt something. Pain.

It hit him out of nowhere, a searing torch through his chest, and he gripped the branch next to him tightly, as his humanity came roaring back to life inside his body. But the agony he felt wasn't for himself. It was for Elena. And for Damon.

_Stefan found himself outside the Gilbert house one rainy evening, two years after he had disappeared. Caroline, always a good friend to him, had kept him updated on the comings and goings on Mystic Falls, but he hadn't the strength to return until now. _

_He looked into the kitchen window, squinting around raindrops, watching Elena and Damon make dinner together. He was chopping and she was stirring something on the stove, most likely Damon's famous tomato sauce, and they were laughing. Damon came up behind Elena, dropping basil into the pot, and put his arms around her, burying his head into her hair. Elena leaned back and closed her eyes._

_For a moment, Stefan had a heart pounding feeling that Damon had bitten her, but the look on her face was joy, not pain or shock. Damon turned Elena around towards him, placing a hand on her cheek, and kissed her._

_It was then Stefan knew that Damon loved Elena more than he ever could. Because when and if the time came that Elena wanted a wedding, children, a normal human life, Damon's love for her would let him let her go._

_Caroline had left that out._

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><p><strong>Author's Note: I may expand this to be full length - reviews are always appreciated for encouragement.<strong>

**Story and Chapter Title from Martin Larsen's "I Can't Love You Anymore"  
><strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Stay

Stefan thought for a moment he was still in the past as he saw Caroline walking across the backyard towards him. She smiled and hugged him, knowing what he had overheard.

"About time you came back Stefan, she's been asking for you."

"How ... how bad is she?"

Caroline bit her lip and looked down, not wanting to say what was next.

"The cancer is pretty far spread, you know Elena, always caring about other people and not enough about herself sometimes. The blood keeps it from getting worse, helps her body heal enough to continue, but it doesn't seem like she'll be better than she is now. The only way to keep her alive is on a steady blood diet, and we all know she doesn't want that long term."

"Why is she doing it then?"

"She wants to get everything in order, settle things that are unfinished. Spend time with Damon. Make peace with you."

Caroline's tears broke Stefan's heart, and he hugged his old friend, grateful for her presence.

"How's Damon holding up?"

"Worse than he lets on. He keeps up a brave face, but when they are alone ... she's the only one that sees how deep the pain goes, he won't let anyone else in that far."

Stefan nodded, knowing how his brother operates, and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of Elena speaking quietly to Damon. She was whispering too softly to make out words, but Stefan could feel the comfort in her voice, slowing down Damon's ragged breathing.

"Do you want to go in to see them?" Caroline asked softly, hearing the same things Stefan did.

Stefan shook his head.

"Maybe we can just go back to the boardinghouse? You can fill me in on things."

Caroline nodded and led the way back to her car.

Damon watched Elena close her eyes and fall asleep, having heard Stefan and Caroline's every word. He only hoped Stefan's arrival would give Elena peace.

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><p>It was as if nothing at changed at the old Salvatore boardinghouse, though Stefan assumed Damon rarely stayed there. Caroline walked through the first floor, opening curtains and a few windows, letting fresh air and sunlight in.<p>

"Everything is as it was, Damon wouldn't let anyone touch your room, so I assume it's the way you left it." Caroline said, following Stefan's lead and taking a seat on one of the many ornate chairs in the living room.

Stefan nodded and they sat in silence, Caroline fidgeting with a loose string on her shirt.

"How are things Stefan? Where have you been living?"

"Seattle for awhile, then Vancouver, I've got a place there now. It's a good city, not too big, places to be alone. Time to think."

"How long are you back for?"

Stefan stared down at the floor.

"As long as it takes for her to forgive me. For you all to forgive me."

"Damon is going to need you Stefan. After … after it's all over, he's going to need his brother. Someone who understands what its like to lose the woman you both love."

Stefan looked up at Caroline's tear streaked face and nodded solemnly, knowing she was right. He owed it to Damon. And to Elena.


	3. Chapter 3: Left Behind

_Elena sprinted from her car on the road to the old house, the site where the witches burned, her chest burning not from the exhertion, but from terror._

_She flew up the driveway, squinted through the bright, setting sun, and fell to her knees, unable to run anymore._

_"DAMON! DAMON!" Elena screamed, her voice full of agony. She sat back on her heels and yelled into the sky, tears streaming down her face._

_Damon whirled up the stairs and through the front door, eyes widening at the scene in front of him._

_Damn it Alaric, I told you not to tell her, Damon thought to himself. _

_Within seconds he was on the ground next to Elena, gathering her in his arms, his hands tangled in her hair as he pulled her as close to him as he possibly could._

_"You're alive, you're alive! I thought I had lost you!" Elena choked out through her tears._

_"I'm so sorry Elena, I didn't want to tell you what we were doing; I needed to keep you safe. Forgive me, please. I will explain everything to you." Damon said mournfully, his hands on either side of Elena's face, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment._

_A slow clapping started behind them, and Damon gritted his teeth, hearing his brother's footsteps cross over the threshold and onto the porch._

_"Well isn't this a gripping scene; quite the turn of events in our endless love triangle, wouldn't you say brother?" Stefan said, his voice sending shivers down Elena's back._

_He's gone, she thought, and he's not coming back._

_Elena saw pain spring up in Damon's eyes, knowing his brother's actions were hurting him more than they could ever hurt her, deep down._

_Damon took a breath, nodded slightly, and stood up with Elena, keeping her behind him, their hands entwined._

_"No need for such hatred, dear brother, you're the one that walked away from everything you had when you went on a murderous rampage to take down Klaus."_

_Stefan walked closer and Elena instinctively backed up, her free hand gripping the back of Damon's shirt tightly._

_"Don't worry, Elena," Stefan said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and hate, "your precious Damon is safe. Klaus is all tucked away by your witch friend in his coffin, no one will get to him now."_

_Elena's eyes went wide, and she could feel Damon squeeze her fingers, signaling her it was true. Relief washed over her when she saw Bonnie step out of the house, looking exhausted, but alive._

_She turned back towards Stefan, and was shocked at the amount of pure rage was boiling up in his eyes; she could see the small tremors taking over his body as he tried to control himself._

_Damon moved himself and Elena a few steps further down the hill; he wanted to be as close as possible to some sort of tree or bush in case a makeshift stake became necessary. He fought to control his own anger, tried to remember this was his brother, underneath the Ripper._

_"Stefan, please, let's just take a few days to calm down." Damon said quietly, hoping to appeal to whatever was left of his brother._

_"Sure Damon, let's just take a few days to calm down. I'll come home, we'll have a few drinks. Maybe play some Twister with Elena, I'm sure shouldn't mind being our blood bag, would you Elena?"_

_Elena closed her eyes, horrified, shook her head, trying to get the grisly image out of her hand. Damon's eyes flashed with hate, and he heard Bonnie gasp._

_"We're leaving Stefan, there's no point talking to you when you're like this. Come on Bonnie, we'll get you home." Damon said steadily, keeping himself ready to intercept Stefan if need be, watching as Bonnie carefully made her way around Stefan, shaking her head._

_Bonnie grabbed Elena, and Damon put his arms around both of them, slowing walking down the hill, listening for any snap of a branch or crunch of grass, anything to indicate Stefan making a move._

_"So that's it Elena, after everything we had, you just walk into the sunset with Damon? The brother you hated, the brother that disgusted you, that killed your brother and fed you vampire blood. I guess you did always like my sloppy seconds Damon."_

_The trio stopped and Damon inhaled deeply, Elena shaking her head at him, telling him without words that it was time to leave Stefan behind._

_"How does it make you feel that I had her first? That I kissed her first? That I had her in my bed –"_

_Damon whirled and growled, fangs protruding, eyes blood red. Still, Elena gripped his hand, the other coming to rest on his cheek._

_"Just breathe, Damon, breathe. I don't want you regretting anything later." She whispered, locking her eyes with his until they returned to their normal grey sky blue._

_"Stefan, we are done." The pain and hate and determination seeped out of Elena's voice and shocked them all._

_"Leave us alone. Don't come around, don't cause any more problems. Damon has made mistakes, we all do. But he has been there for me through everything. Through you leaving me, and breaking my heart, and nearly killing me at Wickery Bridge when you knew what the place meant for me. So I'm done. I won't think about you, so don't you dare think of me. You make me sick."_

_Stefan felt a strange pain in his chest, and reached up, fingers gripping his shirt above his heart. Elena started to walk down the hill again, pulling Damon and Bonnie with her, faster now. It wasn't until they reached Elena's car that they heard Stefan scream out in rage and agony._


	4. Chapter 4: Just Let Me Know You're Alive

Stefan made his way slowly through the house, smiling sadly to himself as he came across reminders of what he left behind. He let his wing of the house for last, the pain rising in his heart with every step closer to his bedroom. He slowly opened the door, the hinges creaking with disuse.

He opened the heavy drapes, watching the dust rise into the beams of sunlight. His fingers trailed along the books on the shelves, his eyes avoiding his bed, the scene of so many moments with Elena.

He noticed a large box on the floor at the foot of the bed, and knelt to open the top. He closed his eyes and fell back on to the floor. At the top of the box was a framed photo of him and Elena, one they took when he made the football team. He was in his uniform and Elena was smiling, leaning into him. It was a brief interlude of peace for him, the days before she knew what he was really was.

He noticed something dripping onto his shirt, and raised his hand to his face, shocked to find tears spilling out of his eyes. He lifted the frame out, and found a dozen more of similar photos, all with Elena, a few with their other friends and families joining in. All of the things Stefan had given her were in the box; once out of sight, they were now dredging up the most painful memories he had ever endured.

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><p>"<em>Bonnie, please. I know everything he did was wrong, but he was there for me when I needed a friend, and I know deep down, he needs someone to connect with still." <em>

_Bonnie looked at Caroline, and closed her eyes. To do a locator spell on Stefan would be painful for all of them. Damon had lost a brother, Elena, a lover, Bonnie, a friend, and Caroline, a protector. _

"_What do you plan to do when I find him Caroline? You know this has to be kept quiet. Damon and Elena aren't ready yet to approach that subject, they may never be."_

"_I just want to make sure he's safe. I want to make sure he still has some link to his life here, so he doesn't totally slip away from who he was."_

_Bonnie stared into the flames of the candles surrounding her, sighing deeply before nodding._

"_You have something of his?"_

_Caroline nodded and placed a journal in front of Bonnie. They sat across from each other on the floor, and the flames flickered before growing stronger as Bonnie began to chant, with one hand on the journal, another on a map. Caroline bit her lip, hoping it would work._

_Suddenly the candles died out, and Bonnie opened her eyes, pointing to a map._

"_He's here, Caroline. I can't name the town, but he's near a blue and white house on the beach. A very remote place. Please, be careful. Bring Tyler."_

_Caroline nodded and hugged Bonnie in thanks._

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><p><em>Caroline and Tyler had driven around the coastal tidewaters of the Virginia shoreline, in the area where Bonnie had identified. Caroline compelled person after person to get information, worrying Tyler with her rising hysteria and desperation.<em>

"_This is it Care, the last place we check. If he's not here, we're going home, and we'll work with Bonnie to get an exact location or something. But you're scaring me."_

_Caroline stared out at the sea; waves raging in the distance from an off shore storm, and nodded._

"_He's here Tyler, I can feel him. Keep driving. We'll find him."_

_An hour later they had reached a gravel road leading to a row of dunes, causing Tyler to hit the brakes before they hit a "Road Closed" sign._

_Caroline jumped out and climbed quickly on top of one of the dunes, searching the horizon._

"_Tyler! I found it! I know this is the place!"_

_Tyler began to climb up the dune as well, but Caroline shook her head._

"_You have to stay here, I don't know what shape he's in, and seeing a hybrid might anger him. I promise I will come back Tyler, I know Stefan won't hurt me."_

_Tyler shook his head but backed away._

"_You have an hour Care, and then I'm coming to get you."_

_Caroline smiled and nodded, and ran at vampire speed down the dunes and up the coastline._

_She circled the dilapidated blue house slowly, warily eying the stilts that had been beaten brutally by the waves over time. She made her way onto the first floor deck, listening as hard as she could for any sort of noise._

_Sliding the door open carefully, she wasn't surprised that she could step inside without a problem; the house had clearly been abandoned for years._

"_Caroline."_

_Caroline screamed and whipped around, coming face to face with Stefan._

"_Stefan. You scared the shit out of me!" Caroline said, holding her hand to her chest, and leaning against the wall._

"_What are you doing here? How did you find me?"_

"_Bonnie did a locator spell. I've been worried about you Stefan, I wanted to make sure you were ok."_

_Stefan choked out a hollow laugh, bringing his hands to his head._

"_Do I look like I'm ok, Caroline? I'm living in the middle of this godforsaken place, completely alone. I'VE LOST EVERYTHING!" He roared and Caroline flattened herself against the wall, terrified._

"_You're afraid of me." Stefan whispered, bitterly._

_Caroline just stared at him, not sure what the answer should be._

"_I'm not going to hurt you Caroline. "_

_Caroline slid down to the floor and sat down, nodding her head and wiping away tears._

"_Why did you come here? Why even care about me anymore?"_

"_Stefan, you will always be my friend. The things you did … you lost control, Stefan, with the blood, we all know that. It's not an excuse to cover all your actions, but I know it was a huge part of it. I wanted to make sure you were alive."_

_Stefan nodded and looked out the window; Caroline knew he was seeing Mystic Falls._

"_My brother? How is he?"_

"_He's doing ok. Drinking more than usual, but that's to be expected I guess."_

"_And … Elena?" Stefan said; his voice strained._

"_She's different, quieter, more cautious of those around her."_

"_And are they together?"_

_Caroline stood up, and joined Stefan at the window._

"_Yes."_

"_I could see it coming, for months, even before I left with Klaus. She understood him better than I did, my own brother, and he went out of his way to protect her. He'd die for her."_

_Caroline looked at Stefan sadly, and placed a hand on his shoulder, letting the weight of the truth sink in._

"_There's something you can do for them Stefan, and for me. Check in with me, once a month, a few times a year, whatever is easiest for you. Just let me know you are alive."_


	5. Chapter 5: Letting Go

_It had been 3 weeks since Stefan had disappeared. 3 weeks since Klaus had been locked away in a coffin. 3 weeks since Elena felt for the first time in a long time that she was safe. _

_But relief didn't come. She paced the boardinghouse endlessly, trying to let go of the guilt about Stefan, the pain he had caused, the losses she had suffered._

_Damon and Alaric watched her carefully, cooking her favorite foods, inviting over Bonnie and Caroline, flying in Jeremy, all to lift her spirits and pull her out of whatever place she was in._

_Every night she slept in Damon's bed, fitfully, plagued by nightmares. Damon held her when she woke up screaming, tears streaming down her face, keeping her close to him as she held on to him for dear life. He silently cursed his brother for his heartless words and unforgivable actions._

_One night Damon woke up alone, and sat up quickly in bed, panicking. He opened the door and listened for Elena's heartbeat, which he finally detected faintly on the other side of the house. He steeled himself for the worst, and ran quickly to the stairs leading up to Stefan's room. He found Elena dragging a box up the last step, swearing as she bumped her knee off the doorframe._

"_Elena, are you alright? What's going on?"_

"_It's time to let go Damon, it's time to lock up this room and never look at it again. We need to do this." She said forcefully, pushing the box towards the bed._

_Damon stood in the doorway, not wanting to enter the room._

"_Now? Elena its 3 am!"_

_She stood, hands on her hips, looking up at him._

"_I know, I'm sorry. I just, I needed to do it. Once and for all. Jer dropped the box off a few days ago, but I didn't want to say anything. I needed to let him go in my own way, just like you need to do for yourself."_

_Damon watched as she looked around the room and closed her eyes for a minute, taking a deep breath in and nodding her head once. When Elena opened her eyes she met Damon's with a nervous look, and he looked back curiously._

"_There's another reason, Damon, that I needed to do this on my own." Elena said, walking back towards the door, her eyes not leaving his for a moment._

"_Oh?" Damon replied, his stomach flip flopping as he could hear her heart rate increase. A million scenarios flooded his mind: she wanted to leave, she wanted to move away, she wanted to never be in the house again. What is she thinking? He asked himself._

"_Yes. But I can't tell you here. It's not … it's not right." She whispered._

_Damon moved into the landing as Elena shut the light and closed the door, turning the key in the lock, and Damon felt a sudden loss, as if Stefan had died._

_Elena led the way downstairs into the library, and Damon followed close behind, his curiosity growing._

"_I …" She began, biting her lip nervously, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace._

"_Elena, pause. Do I need a drink for this?" Damon interrupted, totally serious._

_She shook her head and smiled slightly, the first smile he had seen in weeks._

"_I've been waiting to say this, because I don't want you to think I'm saying it just because Stefan is gone. I needed to let go of him tonight in my own way, and I did, but please know Damon, this would've happened whether or not he was still here."_

_Damon took a seat, and stared at her, his mind spinning._

"_You've been there for me, through everything Damon. I know who you are Damon, I know the person you don't let anyone see. Thank you for letting me in." Elena said softly, walking over to him and kneeling down in front of him, hands on his knees._

"_I've been waiting to say this because I didn't want Stefan to taint it. But, now, I have to say it. It's been in my heart for so long, and I didn't want to believe it because of Stefan, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there. When you kissed me that night … everything became clear."_

_Damon was leaning forward now, his hands on hers, not daring to blink in case he missed something. Her eyes were wide, and her heart was beating like a bird's, he could hear her blood rushing through her veins. _

"_I love you, Damon. I've loved you for longer than I even realized. And you knew it, but you let me come to it my own way, and that makes me love you even more."_

_Elena smiled, a real, true, smile, and Damon felt his entire life change in an instant. He pulled her up into his lap and held her face in his hands, searching her eyes to make sure it was real._

"_You heard it right. I love you. I want to be with you." She whispered._

_Before he could even reply, she kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck and he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her close._

"_I love you too, Elena, God I love you."_

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><p>Elena lay in bed, her head resting on Damon's chest. She took his hand in hers, and pulled it close to her.<p>

"What're you thinking about?" He asked quietly, opening the blue eyes she had spent her life falling in.

"The night I told you I loved you."


	6. Chapter 6: The Heart of Me

Damon turned on the coffee maker in the kitchen, crossing his arms and staring out the window as he listened to it whir to life. He heard the front door open and listened to the heartbeat that followed.

"Hello, witchy." He said, turning around.

"Hey Damon." Bonnie replied, rolling her eyes and smiling.

She set down her bag on the table and walked slowly over to him.

"How's Elena today?"

"She's about the same. Refusing any more blood." Damon said quietly, not looking Bonnie in the eye.

"We all know the day is going to come Damon, let's just hope it comes later than expected, ok?"

He nodded and Bonnie placed her hand on his forearm, giving it a light squeeze.

"You're tired, aren't you? When was the last time you fed?"

"I'm ok."

"Damon, you need to keep up your strength for her. Look, let me take her coffee up, sit with her for a few hours, and you should take a few hours to yourself."

Damon started to shake his head, but lost his fight when he saw the deep concern in Bonnie's eyes.

"Ok, tell her I'll be back soon, 3 hours tops. Call me if anything comes up."

Damon sped through the woods, past the old Lockwood cellar, to his favorite place to be alone. He stood at the top of the mountain, a couple of blood bags at his feet. He wasn't hungry, the desire for any blood at all had left him when she had told him the diagnosis. He fell to his knees, all the strength leaving him. He was losing her, losing Elena to the human life she had wanted so badly to hang onto. The life that he had let her keep because he loved her more than anything. He looked down at the ring on his finger and a strangled cry of agony left his body as he stared up at the sun.

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><p><em>Damon had been planning it for months, the perfect surprise for Elena. He had enlisted Caroline and Bonnie's help in most aspects, but the ring, he knew was his choice alone.<em>

"_Sir? I have the ring here, take a look. It was done to your exact specifications, so please let me know if you see anything out of place."_

_Damon opened the small box, and smiled. The antique setting was perfectly Elena, and it spoke to the history they had. He walked out of the jewelry store feeling as though nothing could touch him, nothing could ever be wrong again in life, a giant smile plastered on his face._

"_Barbie, Witchy, everything all set?" Damon asked in a sing song voice as he entered the boardinghouse. The two girls turned towards him; his enthusiam about the plan had slowly started to make them both reconsider how they treated him._

"_Yes! Oh Damon I'm just so excited, Elena is going to freak!" Caroline shrieked loudly, while Bonnie covered her ears and rolled her eyes at Damon._

"_I'm going to get started in the kitchen then. Make sure she's here at 7 ok? No earlier, no later."_

_They nodded and started to leave._

"_Oh, and ladies? Thanks, truly." Damon said softly._

_A few hours later, Damon heard Elena's car pull up, and suddenly was more nervous than he had ever been in his life. He checked his pocket for the ring, and grabbed the roses off the table. He listened to Elena make her way to the door, and opened it just as she reached for the handle._

"_Good evening, Elena." He said, taking her hand in his, and handing her the rose bouquet._

"_Such a gentleman. I missed you today." Elena said, pouting._

"_Well, dear, I was a bit busy cooking for you. You look beautiful." _

_Damon stepped closer and took Elena in his arms, kissing her softly. Her heart was racing, and he was trying to keep his thoughts straight._

"_What's with the special occasion? I told Caroline you were cooking, and she nominated herself to style me for the evening." Elena said, noticing the mood lighting and candles in the dining room._

"_I just wanted to give the girl I love a wonderful dinner, which is quite tasty if I do say so myself, I AM a great cook, you know." Damon replied, smirking._

_Elena laughed and shook her head, his egotistical comments always brightening her mood._

_Damon used his vampire speed to his advantage, discretely turning on the stereo. _

"_May I have this dance?" Damon asked, holding his hand out to Elena. _

_She smiled and took his hand, finding herself suddenly in his arms as they moved slowly across the floor._

"_Do you remember this song?" He asked, his lips to her ear, sending shivers down her spine._

"_Of course I do. Our dance at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. I think of you every time I hear it."_

_Damon pulled his head back slightly, looking into her eyes. Elena's breath hitched and she suddenly felt that something monumental was going on. Damon twirled her across the room, his eyes never leaving hers, and she remembered everything about that first dance, the way he had made her feel, even then._

_The song ended and still their eyes locked, hands entwined, bodies as close as they could be. _

"_Elena, I know that I can't give you things that a human could. I can't give you children, a normal life. And I want you to know that if that's what you want, that's ok, but please tell me now." Damon said quietly, his voice shaking, searching her eyes for the truth._

"_Damon, you know that it's always been you. And has our life ever been normal? I know that things will be different, they won't be like I had imagined when I was younger. But I never imagined there would be someone like you, that I could love you as much as I do. As long as you are with me, I am always happy." Elena replied, her heart pounding, not sure where Damon was going with this._

_In what seemed like a dream, Damon pulled away slowly, putting his hand in his back pocket. He knelt on one knee in front of Elena, and she was sure she actually stopped breathing._

"_Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?"_

_Elena's mouth dropped open and she nearly fell over, Damon catching her quickly and resting her against his knee. She looked into the blue eyes that were everything to her: best friend, protector, soul mate, greatest love. _

"_Yes," she said, smiling, "Damon Salvatore, I will marry you. I love you." _

_Damon grinned and slid the ring on finger, Elena gasping at it's beauty. He stood, pulling her with him, and put his arms around her, burying his head into her neck, wanting to remember everything about the moment, the smell of her hair, heartbeat against his chest, her pulse against his lips, her fingers gripping his hair._

* * *

><p>Damon looked down at his hands, his wedding ring on one, his daylight ring on the other. Both gave him life, and one day, when Elena was gone, one would send him back to her.<p>

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><p><strong>Chapter title from Within Temptation's "All I Need" - Also the song that played during their dance. <strong>


	7. Chapter 7: Something Old, Something Blue

Caroline opened the door to the boardinghouse, listening for any noise inside.

"Stefan? Are you here? I brought the book." Caroline shouted, making her way into the library.

She found Stefan staring out the window, glass in hand, arms crossed.

"Stefan?" Caroline said quietly, not wanting to scare him.

"Oh, hey Caroline. Didn't hear you. Lost in my thoughts I guess." Stefan replied, smiling slightly.

Caroline poured herself a drink and they both sat down on the couch.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Caroline asked, taking a large sip from her glass, steeling herself for the inevitable.

"I'm sure." Stefan said solemnly.

Caroline handed over a photo album. "Elena and Damon's Wedding" was written across the cover.

* * *

><p>"<em>Elena! Stay still! I can't put the veil in right if you don't stop fidgeting. Bonnie, can you help me with this?" Caroline shrieked, as Elena moved a half-centimeter in the chair.<em>

_Bonnie shook her head and held pins out to Caroline as she secured the veil to the back of Elena's head. Elena watched in the mirror and tried not to let Caroline's dramatics get to her. _

_There was a knock on the door, and Bonnie opened it slightly, assuming it was Damon attempting to get a peek at Elena._

"_Oh, hey Jer, what's up? We're close to being done in here, I promise."_

"_This package came for Elena. There's no address or anything on it. Not sure who it's from." Jeremy replied, handing over a wrapped box._

_Bonnie looked at it curiously and shrugged her shoulders, closing the door, and returning to her duty as Caroline's styling assistant._

"_Elena, this package came for you. Where you expecting something? Anything you forgot?"_

"_No," Elena said, shaking her head, "that's odd. No address either."_

_The three girls looked at each other, the paranoia from their dealings with Originals and other supernatural situations coming to the surface._

"_Oh I'm sure it's fine Elena. Hey, maybe it's from Damon, and he sent Jeremy as his errand boy? Just open it!" Caroline said, clapping her hands together at the thought of a romantic gesture. _

_Elena rolled her eyes, and carefully undid the brown paper packaging. Underneath was a white box, and she removed the top, staring down at a smaller box surrounded by tissue paper, with a note on top._

"_I hope its jewelry!" Caroline commented._

_Elena felt a sudden dread as she lifted the note out, and opened it with shaky hands._

_Dear Elena,_

_Congratulations on your engagement and wedding to Damon. I am sorry I cannot be there, but I think we all would agree it's for the best. Please know that as long as you are truly happy, I am happy for you on this monumental occasion._

_Enclosed in the box you'll find a bracelet of my mother's. I know that she would've wanted it to go to someone Damon and I love, so I pass it along to you now. I hope it can be your "something old" and "something blue" for your special day._

_Someday Elena I hope we can see each other again, and when that time comes, I hope that you can forgive me for all the mistakes I've made._

_Just know that even if I hadn't gone off the rails like I did, you would have ended up with Damon eventually. I had seen it coming for a long time, and it was selfish of me to want to punish you both for it. _

_I will always love you Elena. _

_Stefan_

_Elena raised her hand to her mouth, and handed the note to Bonnie and Caroline. She took a deep breath and opened the jewelry box, tears in her eyes. A silver bracelet dotted with sapphires lay inside, and her mouth fell open in shock._

"_Oh my God, Elena, are you alright?" Bonnie asked worriedly, passing off the note to Caroline, and kneeling by the chair._

_Elena couldn't speak; she just nodded and pulled the bracelet out, dangling it in the air for the girls to see._

"_Oh Elena … it's beautiful. But don't wear it if it doesn't feel right." Caroline said softly, watching the sapphires sparkle in the sun._

_Elena took a deep breath, forced her tears away, and held out her arm for Bonnie to clasp the bracelet around her wrist._

"_No, it's right. It's his way of being here."_

"_Damon, this letter came for you." Jeremy said, handing the envelope to Ric as Damon finished up with his tie._

_Damon's eyes fell on the handwriting on the envelope, and his hands dropped to his sides. Ric and Jeremy watched him curiously as he stared off at something in the corner, his face constricting, holding back pain._

"_It's from Stefan." Damon said, not betraying the emotion in his voice._

_Ric nodded and pulled Jeremy into the hall as Damon sat down, a very large glass of bourbon in one hand, and the letter in the other._

_Damon,_

_Caroline told me of your engagement to Elena, and extended an invitation to your wedding today, but you know all the reasons why I can't be there. I hope you can forgive me for missing such an important day in your life, I wish things had ended up differently between you and I._

_Please know I am thinking of you and Elena today, and I wish you all the best in your life together. I hope in the future there will be a time when you can accept my apologies and extend forgiveness for the pain I have caused._

_Hold onto Elena, Damon, with all you have, love her in the way I know you will. She deserves it. You both do. Don't feel like a consolation prize, she loves you more than she could ever love me, I knew it from the moment you two met; it was only a matter of time._

_Enjoy your life with her, brother. Your love is rare and beautiful. _

_Stefan_

_Damon felt tears running down his face before he even finished the letter, and he leaned his head back, closing his eyes, forcing himself to pull it together._

* * *

><p><em>Elena stood ready to walk down the aisle, Bonnie and Caroline already making their way to the altar. Jeremy stood next to her, as he would be the one to give her away, and he gave her a reassuring smile.<em>

"_You look beautiful, Elena." _

"_Thanks Jer. This feels right, you know? I can't imagine it any way else." _

_They looked at each other, and Jeremy knew that she meant she couldn't imagine this day happening with Stefan as the groom. _

_The bridal march began to play, and Jeremy led Elena slowly down the aisle. Elena was terrified of all the eyes on her, but she looked up and saw Damon, Ric standing beside him, his blue eyes catching hers in his trademark smirk. She smiled and kept her eyes locked on his as Jeremy placed her hand in Damon's. His fingers touched the bracelet Stefan had sent, and his eyes dropped, widening at the sight of the familiar piece of jewelry. He searched her eyes, and she nodded, confirming that she had in fact gotten it from Stefan. She squeezed his hand, knowing how painful it was for him to not have his brother there, and he smiled as they turned towards the priest._

"_Dearly beloved, we gather here today …"_

* * *

><p>"Seems like it was a perfect day." Stefan said, pausing on a picture of Elena and Damon during their first dance.<p>

"It was. I know both of them were sad you couldn't be there, but you were, in a way. That bracelet meant everything to her, Stefan. Still does."

Caroline put her hand on his, and he nodded, staring down at the pictures in front of him, trying to hold himself together.


	8. Chapter 8: Sometimes People Leave

**A/N: Thank you so much to my reviewers, Last Marauder of Five and Nymphadora! I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter, it was definitely an emotional one to write.**

* * *

><p>"Hey Jeremy." Elena said quietly, smiling as Jeremy walked into her bedroom and sat down next to her.<p>

"Hey Elena. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, you know, same as yesterday and the day before that. Nothing new to report."

Jeremy nodded and smiled sadly, taking her hand in his.

"Mackenzie is on her way, she'll be here tonight. Flying in from L.A."

Elena nodded closed her eyes, as Jeremy wiped away the tears beginning to form in his eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Damon's eyes snapped open, his vampire senses immediately on alert. He craned his neck to look at the clock. It was 2 am and the house was quiet, he couldn't figure out what it was that woke him up. Over the decades he had taught himself to tune out nighttime noises in an attempt to get some rest, so whatever the noise had been, it had caught the attention of his super hearing. He pulled Elena closer to him, and shut his eyes, focusing on the sounds around him.<em>

_He heard the crack of the trees outside, the rustle of the leaves, the beating hearts of small animals. Nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he felt something wasn't right and listened harder._

_There it was, a car engine several streets over, roaring down the road. Damon was about to chalk it up to reckless teenage behavior when something about the sound of the engine made him open his eyes again. It was turning now onto their street._

_Jeremy. It's Jeremy, he thought. Damon got out of bed quietly, as not to wake Elena, and rushed downstairs as Jeremy's car came careening into the driveway._

"_Elena! Damon!" Jeremy screamed, his voice agonizing and raw. Damon flew through the front door and down the porch, stopping short when he saw the scene before him._

_Jeremy was on his knees in the front yard, screaming, with his girlfriend, Jill, laid across his lap. _

"_Damon you have to help her, you have to help! Jill! Wake up!" Jeremy yelled, as Damon dropped to his knees beside him, putting his fingers to Jill's neck._

"_Jer, there's no pulse, I can't hear a heartbeat …" Damon said softly, fearing the worst._

"_Just try! YOU HAVE TO TRY!" _

_Damon bit into his wrist and propped Jill's head up, holding her mouth to his dripping vein. It was no use though. Jill was dead. Damon sat back on his heels, watching the bite mark close up, and shook his head._

"_I'm so sorry, Jeremy, I wish I could do something, but she's gone. She's gone."_

_Jeremy leaned over Jill's body and cried out with such pain that Damon felt his own heart breaking for him. He looked up and saw Elena standing on the last step of the porch, hands to her mouth, eyes wide with shock. Damon had just reached for her when they heard a baby cry, and they both looked towards Jeremy's car._

"_Oh my god, it's Mackenzie, Damon, oh my god. I can't believe this." Elena said over and over, shaking her head at the horror before her._

"_Let me get the baby, Elena, you stay with Jeremy." _

_Damon ran to the car and pulled open the back passenger door, coming face to face with Jeremy's daughter, Mackenzie._

"_Hey there kid, it's gonna be ok, let's get you out of there ok? Come on now." Damon said soothingly, pulling the baby out of her car seat, and holding her protectively in his arms. _

_Elena had her arms wrapped around Jeremy, rocking him back and forth, as he sobbed into her hair._

* * *

><p><em>Damon walked into Jenna's old room, watching Elena put Mackenzie into her crib they'd bought when she was born so that they could babysit over night. Elena tucked her in with her favorite stuffed animal, and put her hand on Mackenzie's head, holding back tears.<em>

_Elena crossed the room and Damon pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he felt her tears soak through his shirt._

"_What are we going to do?" Elena asked, her voice muffled by his chest._

"_They'll come stay with us Elena, we'll figure this out, I promise."_

"_You'd do that for me? For Jeremy?" Elena said, looking up at him, her eyes swollen and red._

"_Of course I would, I love you; I love your family. They need our help. It's going to be ok, we will make it ok." Damon replied, his eyes staring their way through Elena's into her soul._

_They walked out into the hall, hand and hand, and caught Ric as he was closing the door to Elena's parent's old room._

"_He's asleep now, though he's going to have a brutal hangover in the morning." Ric whispered, as the three made their way downstairs and into the living room._

"_Did he tell you anything? Did he know that she was using again?" Elena asked._

"_He said he had no idea, and someone would've picked up on it. I think it was a one time mistake, and unfortunately, it took her life." Ric replied solemnly, as Damon handed him a drink and sat down with his own._

* * *

><p><em>Mackenzie had just turned 4, and was coming up with a million questions to ask everyone, from why the sky was blue to why she couldn't eat dirt.<em>

"_Auntie Elena?" Mackenzie said, as she followed Elena around, helping her pick up toys in the living room._

"_Yes, Kenzie?" Elena replied, trying to be patient, dreading another question and answer session._

"_Is Grandpa Ric really my grandpa?" she asked, and Elena took a deep breath, fighting the urge to scream._

"_Of course he is sweetheart. Our family is a little different, but we all love each other the same. You love Grandpa Ric, right?"_

_Mackenzie nodded enthusiastically and climbed up onto the couch, clutching a doll._

"_Auntie Elena?"_

"_Yes?" Elena replied; her voice strained. Please kid, she thought, I love you, but enough with the questions for today._

"_Where are your mommy and daddy?"_

_Elena, still facing the window, dropped the book she was holding and bit her lip. _

_Damon had been listening to the conversation from upstairs, and sped down when he didn't hear Elena reply. He walked over to her, took her hands in his, and whispered quietly._

"_I'll handle this, why don't you go upstairs for a bit, ok?" _

_Elena nodded gratefully and hurried towards the staircase, not wanting to explain death to a 4 year old._

"_Uncle Damon? Is Auntie Elena sad?" Mackenzie asked, her face pensive._

_Damon sat down on the couch and pulled her into his lap, pushing the hair out of her eyes._

"_Sometimes she's sad, yes."_

"_Why?"_

_Damon closed his eyes for a moment, thinking of the best way to tell a little girl that the world would let you down and take away the people you love._

"_Kenz, remember how your daddy explained to you where your mommy is? She's in Heaven, right?"_

_Mackenzie nodded and looked up at Damon, captivated by his eyes._

"_Well that's where daddy and Elena's parents are, hun. God took them away a long time ago. But Aunt Jenna and Uncle Ric came to take care of them."_

"_Where's Aunt Jenna?"_

"_She's in Heaven too. Sometimes … sometimes people leave when we don't want them to Kenzie, so that's why we have to make sure we love them as much as we can, right?"_

_Mackenzie nodded again and laid her head against Damon's chest, her hand gripping his shirt._

"_You love Auntie Elena, right?"_

"_I love Auntie Elena very much, Kenz, more than anything in the world. And we both love you."_

_Damon sat there until Mackenzie nodded off, and then carried her upstairs to her bed. He closed the door gently, and made his way down the hall to find Elena._

_She was curled up in the middle of their bed, wrapped in one of his old dress shirts. Her back was towards him, but he knew she was awake. He lay down and wrapped his arms around her as she turned to face him._

"_You ok, babe?" He whispered, kissing her._

_Elena nodded and looked into the eyes she loved so much._

"_I just … it's hard for me to explain those things to her."_

_Damon nodded in reply and gazed into her eyes for a long time, searching as he always did, to make sure he was still doing the right thing._

"_I'm sorry … "He began before trailing off._

"_For what?" Elena replied, putting her hand on his cheek._

"_I'm sorry I could never give you kids. I just hope you don't regret it." He said so timidly, Elena's heart broke thinking he would ever doubt their relationship._

"_Damon, don't ever think that I've made a mistake. I chose this, I chose you. I couldn't ever imagine my life without you. I only want to be with you, here, in our town, with our family and friends, helping Jer raise Kenzie. You are all I need. You are everything." _

_Damon nodded and kissed her again, fingers running through her hair. _


	9. Chapter 9: Old Drinking Buddy

**A/N: I know this is a fairly short chapter, but it needed to stand on it's own. Thanks to my new reviewers!**

* * *

><p>Damon stood in front of Alaric's grave, pouring a healthy shot of bourbon across the dirt.<p>

"You should be here for this Ric, I could really use my old drinking buddy." Damon said sarcastically, missing his friend. He raised the bottle to lips and downed more than he should of. The alcohol burned as it went down his throat, but it meant that for just a second he could focus on his physical pain, and not his emotional pain.

Sometime later, he found himself sitting on the ground, leaning sideways into Ric's gravestone, ranting and raving about how Alaric should've turned to keep him company in such a time as this. One bottle lay empty on the ground, his fingers were wrapped tightly around a half empty second bottle.

He was drunk enough to let his walls down, but not drunk enough to let go of his vampire senses. Damon suddenly felt like he was being watched, and squinted through the sun, watching for his mysterious admirer. After a moment, he realized he did not hear a human heartbeat.

"Stefan." He said, a statement, not a question. _Of course it would be him, Damon thought, just when I'm at my weakest._

The leaves rustled to his left, but still, nothing.

"Stefan, come on out little brother, I'm too old to be playing these games." Damon said, his voice like ice, hiding the pain of missing his brother for the past 50 years.

Finally he caught the glimpse of a shadow, and Stefan was standing in front of him.

"Here he comes, the great and mighty Stefan, back to save the day." Damon seethed, waving the bottle through the air, spilling a few drops on the grass.

"Damon, I was just hoping -" Stefan began, before Damon quickly stood up and cut him off.

"Just hoping what? That I'll forgive you, that we can go back to roses and fucking sunshine all the time? Tour the world and drink our share of waitresses and rich women? You've been gone a long time, brother, things have changed. Everything has changed."

Stefan watched Damon's eyes crackle like fire, and he knew that his brother was in no mood to be messed with, especially with the amount of alcohol involved.

"Caroline told me about Ric, I was sorry to hear about that." Stefan said quietly, attempting to change the conversation.

"Yea, figures right? The great vampire hunter ends up dying peacefully in his sleep, waiting patiently to join his second wife on the other side. The irony kills me." Damon said, grimacing and taking another large swig.

"Damon, maybe you shouldn't - "

"Shouldn't what? Be drinking? Be drinking in a cemetery? Be talking like a loony in the cemetery to my dead friend? No, no, that's not it. I shouldn't be drinking because Elena is at home, dying, and there's nothing I can do except watch as she's taken from me, bit by bit, every damn day. Saint Stefan wouldn't have drank on such occasion. My apologies for not being up to your standards."

Stefan took a step back, the venom in Damon's voice was palpable.

"I'll be at the boardinghouse, Damon, when you are ready to talk. I came back to make things right with Elena, and with you."

Stefan turned and walked away quickly, as he heard Damon roar in anger and throw the bottle in his hand clear across the cemetery.


	10. Chapter 10: Mystic Falls

Damon walked slowly home, trying to sober up from his drinking binge. He sighed to himself and squinted his eyes against the sun, trying to focus on just walking and nothing else. He turned into the driveway and saw a familiar car. A smile crossed his face, despite his attempt to stay somber, and he flew inside the house.

"Uncle Damon!" Mackenzie cried, coming into the living room from the kitchen and Damon pulled her into a huge hug.

"Thanks for coming, kid." Damon whispered.

"I'm so sorry about everything. Are you doing ok?" Mackenzie replied, looking worriedly at his pale face.

"I'm hanging in the best I can, Kenz. How was L.A.?"

"Oh you know, same old, same old. Glad to be home."

* * *

><p>"<em>Dad? Uncle Damon? Aunt Elena? Anyone home?" a 20-year-old Mackenzie called as she opened the door to the Gilbert house.<em>

"_In here, Kenz!" Elena yelled from the kitchen._

"_Hi Dad!" Mackenzie said happily, giving Jeremy a huge hug. She moved to Elena next, and then the three sat down at the table._

"_So, Kenz, what brings you home this weekend?" Jeremy asked, eyeing Mackenzie suspiciously. She had decided suddenly that morning to come home and he wasn't buying her answers._

"_Is Uncle Damon around?" Mackenzie asked, looking around, not able to keep a straight face._

"_Kenzie, what's going on?" Elena asked, joining Jeremy in his suspicion._

"_I have an announcement! But I need Uncle Damon here too. I called him to tell him I was on my way, he said he'd be here …" Mackenzie trailed off, looking nervously._

_Elena was about to say something when the front door opened, and Damon breezed through the door, Alaric behind him._

"_Grandpa Ric!" Mackenzie screamed happily, as Damon covered his ears in jest._

_After another round of hugs, Damon and Ric joined Elena and Jeremy at the table, all watching with interest as Mackenzie paced the kitchen._

"_So, like I was saying I have an announcement. My professor, you know the one Dad, my creative writing teacher? He submitted a story I'm working on to some publishing companies, and I've been offered a book deal!" _

"_Kenz that's great hun!" Jeremy yelled, standing up and giving his daughter a huge hug._

"_Congratulations Kenzie! Which story did you submit? The one you sent to me recently?" Elena asked, smiling._

"_Um, well, no. It's another one …" Mackenzie mumbled, looking at Damon sideways, who gave her a slight nod and a smile. Alaric caught the exchange, and crossed his arms. Something is brewing, he thought._

"_You want to elaborate on that?" Ric asked, looking at Damon pointedly._

"_It's about a girl, from a small town …" Mackenzie began, looking past them, "and she meets a variety of supernatural beings that totally change her life."_

"_And these supernatural beings are what?" Ric pressed, glaring now at Damon's building smirk that he was trying to keep from showing._

"_Oh you know, witches, werewolves, vampires …" Mackenzie trailed off, biting her lip and keeping her eyes down._

"_Mackenzie, what in the world made you think this is a good idea?" Ric said angrily, worried for her safety above anything else._

"_Kenz, I know we've told you a lot about what's happened in the past, what Damon and I are, um, supernaturally, but this … I don't know hun." Elena said worriedly, also concerned._

"_Where'd you get the idea for this?" Jeremy asked, closing his eyes against old fears that were rising in his mind._

"_Um, Uncle Damon, wanna help me out here?" _

"_Yea, Uncle Damon, wanna help us out here?" Ric said sarcastically to Damon, punching him in the arm._

"_Look, guys, its really not a big deal. Kenz and I were out one day, and she was telling me how she wrote a short story based on Mystic Falls, and she wanted to expand on it, so she asked if I could help. So I did." Damon said, shrugging his shoulders._

"_And how, my dear, dear, husband, did you help?" Elena asked through clenched teeth._

"_She needed to know some background details, things we hadn't told her, so I filled in the holes. Elena, really, the story is great, you need to read it. I made sure Kenzie's physical portrayal of me was correct." Damon replied, a full on smirk now showing._

_Mackenzie bit back laughter and waited for them all to realize the most important key to her submitted material._

"_Are you saying that the story is about us? About this family and Mystic Falls, and everything that happened here?" Jeremy asked quietly, not sure whether to scream or pretend to beat the crap out of Damon._

"_Yup, Dad, that's pretty much the gist of it."_

"_Mackenzie, can you go upstairs. We need to talk, all of us." Ric said decisively. _

_Mackenzie nodded and retreated to her bedroom, while Jeremy, Elena, and Ric stared down Damon._

"_How can you think this is safe?"_

"_What possessed you to help her with this?"_

"_Damon, I love you, but this is insane!"_

"_Hey, HEY! This was Mackenzie's idea. All I did was help her, like I said. She will be safe. The story is so unbelievable that no one will ever think its true, and for those who know it's true, maybe it will answer all of their questions about Klaus and the hybrids." Damon said, his eyes narrowing intensely._

"_But won't this jeopardize Mystic Falls? And everyone here who would be in the book?" Jeremy asked, looking to Elena for support._

"_Maybe Damon is right. No one would believe it enough to actually come here. And those who do will probably be seen as fanatics of the story and nothing more. I'm not all that comfortable with the idea, for Kenzie's safety, but I'm also not going to end her dream before it begins. We've seen too many people lose their lives too early, and too many dreams lost."_

_Jeremy nodded in agreement and looked towards Ric._

"_I don't like it at all, but I guess if she's going to write it, she might as well get the facts straight I'll go through supernatural lore with her; I've still got a ton of Isobel's research. We'll figure it out." _

"_Kenz! You can come back down now!"_

_Mackenzie made her way meekly into the kitchen, and sat down, picking at a scar in the table._

"_We're not all that comfortable with this, but we've decided to let you go ahead with it. But, before you write anything more, you're going to spend time with me learning about the history of the supernatural occurrences in this town. Treat this as a research project, and we will help you along the way, but it needs to be done right. Ok?" Ric said, smiling at her._

"_Agreed, Grandpa. There's just one more thing. I need to know more about Uncle Stefan." Mackenzie said so quietly, she wasn't sure anyone heard her._

_They all looked at Damon and he sighed, dropping his head._

"_I guess that's my job, to teach you about my dear baby bro. Fine Kenz, only because I love ya. We'll head over to the boardinghouse."_

_Damon looked up at Elena and she could see the thought pained him._

"_I'll come too." Elena said firmly, and before anything else could be said, she stood up and went to grab her bag._

* * *

><p><em>They entered the boardinghouse, a place Mackenzie had been very few times, and Damon felt his chest tighten. Elena grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers with his, and squeezed reassuringly.<em>

"_Alright, Kenz, here's the key to Stefan's room. Take your time, read what you want. When you've got questions ready, come get us, ok?"_

_Mackenzie nodded silently, and took the key, making her way towards Stefan's room._

_Elena followed Damon through the house as he checked windows and doors to make sure everything was still locked and secure. His fingers ran over the spines of his beloved books, and he sighed, hating the feelings this place brought to him now._

_Finally they headed upstairs, splitting up to cover the many bedrooms. Damon wandered down the hall slowly, saving his bedroom for last. He walked in and found Elena laying the bed, hands folded together, staring at the ceiling._

"_Hey you." Damon said softly, crossing through beams of sunlight to the bed he had once spent so much time in._

"_Hey back." Elena replied, reaching for him. _

_Damon laid down next to her on the bed, pulling her into his arms, both lost in their own thoughts._

"_We spent a lot of time here." Damon said, smiling to himself, thinking of the good memories they had shared there._

"_Yea, we did. You were always half-dressed whenever I walked in here, before we were together. You were such a flirt."_

"_I was? I still am baby." He grinned, leaning over to kiss her gently._

_They spent the next few hours reminiscing over the all the ways Damon had tried to ensnare Elena back in the day, laughing over his ego and her sarcasm._

"_Uncle Damon? I've got questions for you!" Mackenzie yelled up the stairs, her voice sounding distant._

_Damon and Elena sighed at the same time._

"_You ready?" She asked, looking for the true answer in his eyes.  
><em>

"_No. But I don't have a choice." He replied, steeling himself for the painful questions ahead._

_Over the years, Mackenzie published a series of ten "Mystic Falls" books, and as predicted by Damon, every book became a bestseller. 5 books into the series, a major TV network turned the books into a show that lasted for 10 seasons, a network record. Damon, of course, insisted on submitting notes via Mackenzie about his character's looks, dialogue, and most importantly, his ability to be snarky._

* * *

><p>"Aunt Elena? Are you awake?" Mackenzie asked softly, opening the door to the bedroom quietly.<p>

"You're back." Elena said, smiling as her niece came over to hug her gently.

"I'm back. The publishing company is releasing a 25-year special anniversary boxed set of the _Mystic Falls_ series. They've asked me to write an afterward, and what they called a "character update." I guess like an epilogue for the whole series. I was hoping you could help me with it?"

"Of course, got a pen and some paper?"


	11. Chapter 11: Fade Away

**A/N: Thank you to all those who have taken the time to read, review, and add my story to your alerts, I greatly appreciate it! **

* * *

><p>Damon stood at the window, the moonlight glinting off his eternally youthful face. His arms were crossed, and he stared out into the misty night, trying to clear his mind of everything unimportant.<p>

Elena's oncologist had broken the news gently, but it still hurt more than any physical pain Damon had ever endured in his long life. Elena had just days now, her body was shutting down. Damon wasn't sure how he was going to survive watching her fade away, much less how he would survive after she was gone.

Elena opened her eyes slowly, and looked towards the window, a smile crossing her lips. Damon and her bedroom window knew each other very well after the years he had spent sneaking in and out of it before finally moving in. She could tell he was thinking about her condition, and it broke her heart to literally watch his own break.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, tears dripping slowly down her cheek.

"For what?" Damon asked, turning and making his way quickly over to the bed. He lay down beside her, head propped up in hand, studying her closely.

"I'm sorry for not turning."

Elena said the words so quietly, Damon's super hearing barely even picked them up. He shook his head quickly and took her hand in his.

"Elena, never be sorry. I know it feels like that right now, like you should've turned, but it was a choice you never wanted to make. And as much as I would want you with me forever, if you had made that choice for me, I would've known and I wouldn't have let you go through with it."

"I don't want to leave you, Damon." Elena cried, bursting into tears. Damon gently pulled her towards him, and rocked her back and forth. It was the first time since her original diagnosis that she had completely let go and admitted her true feelings.

* * *

><p><em>Elena stood at the edge of the dock at her family's lake house, staring off into the distance. It was a place of so many happy memories and more despondent ones, like her weekend with Stefan.<em>

_She heard Damon walk the dock, coming towards her, and felt his arms wrap around her waist, his head resting on top of hers. They had decided to leave Mystic Falls for a week that summer, spending the time at the lake, enjoying the freedom away. But Elena found it brought up heavy thoughts for her, the open air and solitude._

"_What's on your mind, Elena?" _

_She shrugged and pulled his arms more tightly around her, needing to feeling physically enclosed, physically safe. It was a way of combating the panic that still occasionally rose in her chest, a sort of PTSD from all she'd been through in her high school years._

"_Talk to me. I can feel something is on your mind, your heart is pounding." Damon whispered into her ear, feeling her pulse pump through her neck._

"_I was thinking that maybe you should turn me."_

_Damon's arms dropped and he spun her around roughly, searching her eyes._

"_Why would you say that Elena? I thought we had settled this years ago. I know it's not what you want."_

"_I'm 35 Damon, I'm not … I'm not going to look like this for ever. I'm going to get old, my hair will be gray, I will die someday Damon, and I'm not sure I can do it all without you." Elena said, tears forming in her eyes._

"_Who says I'm going anywhere? I am with you Elena, every day, every minute, every hour, until the end. We'll tell people I'm your good looking nephew or grandson, or Kenzie's brother when she's old enough. We will make it work. I don't want you to turn."_

_Elena's eyes grew wide and she felt her heart clench in her chest._

'_So you don't want to be with me, forever?" Elena asked. She knew it was irrational, but she didn't understand why Damon didn't want her to turn. She knew that he wouldn't do it, but that didn't mean that he didn't wish he could do it._

_Damon grabbed both of her hands in his and pulled her as close as he possibly could. He looked down into her eyes and the air around them grew still._

"_Don't you think that I would give anything to find a way to keep me with you forever? That if I could, I would turn myself back to being human so we could end life together? Being a vampire Elena, its something I never wanted, and I know it's not something you want either, deep down. It's hard, really hard, to live this long, to watch people around you die. Even harder to turn and then watch your family pass away over the years, watch your friends pass away, the home and places you knew and loved change before your eyes. It's not a life I want for you, and it's not a life I've ever wanted for myself. But you, Elena, you gave me reason to live as a better vampire, a better person. And when you go, I will too. All that will be left of me is a shell."_

_Damon's intensity scared the hell out of Elena, but she knew he was right; being a vampire was the most terrifying and lonely thing she could think of, even if it meant having Damon by her side for centuries. It wasn't a life he wanted either. And she knew that when her time came, he would give himself to the sun._

"_Just promise me you won't tell people you're my son when I'm old. That would just be too weird." Elena said sternly, breaking the tension with a smile._

"_I'll just be your long lost grand-nephew or something. Don't worry though babe, I'll be sure to keep all the young ladies at bay. This body is yours alone." Damon smirked, doing his classic flirty eyes, making Elena double over in laughter as he picked her up and jumped into the lake._

* * *

><p>"I never told you, that day on the dock by at the lake house, that Stefan and I had had a very similar conversation about me turning, that weekend we stayed up there. He never wanted me to turn either."<p>

Elena could feel Damon tense at the mention of his brother, and was surprised when Damon sat up and looked away.

"Elena, there's something you need to know. Stefan, he's back."


	12. Chapter 12: Heartbeat

Elena's breath caught in her chest, and she clutched at her nightgown, convinced for a moment she was having a heart attack.

"Stefan? He's back? When?" She asked, not believing she'd heard it right the first time around.

"Last week. Caroline tracked him down. He's been living out on the West Coast."

Elena felt her breathing return to a normal rate, and she turned Damon's face towards her, his eyes were filled with hurt.

"Have you seen him?"

"Briefly. It didn't go well. But he came back for you Elena, to make things right, before …" Damon cut himself off, unable to say the actual words, to say that Elena was dying.

"He came back for you too Damon, I know you don't want to believe it, but I believe he did. You need to let him in, sweetheart, it doesn't have to be now, or next week, or next month. But you need to do it; you can't keep carrying around the pain from what happened. Let it go."

Damon nodded and dropped his head to Elena's chest gently, listening to the heartbeat that had accompanied him every day for what seemed like a century. It was his favorite sound and he was terrified to lose it.

"Do you want to see him, Elena?"

"Yes. There are things I need to say to him, to ask him. I know it pains you to see him, but do you think you could ask him to come by tomorrow?"

"I'll do anything you ask me to."

* * *

><p>Damon entered the boardinghouse reluctantly, not wanting to deal with Stefan, but he had promised Elena, and so he was here, to see his brother.<p>

"Stefan?" He said, walking through the first floor of the house, fingers trailing the walls of the house he had known for so long.

"In here." Stefan called from the small study in the back of the house.

"I see you've returned to your brooding spot." Damon said sarcastically, waving his arm around.

"Yes, well, you know me, always a brooder." Stefan replied, fighting the urge to roll his eyes at his brother.

"I really have no desire to see you, little brother, but my wife does. Elena doesn't have much time, Stefan, and she's requested to see you."

Stefan nodded and slowly stood, approaching Damon as one would approach an injured animal.

"Damon, I truly am sorry for everything. For what you're going through. Of course I will come see Elena."

Damon nodded and Stefan could see that even though his icy walls were up, Damon was truly suffering.

* * *

><p>Stefan stood in the doorway of Elena and Damon's bedroom, watching her sleep, propped up in bed. He listened to the heartbeat he once knew so well, and the regret he felt for all his terrible actions came boiling to the surface.<p>

"Is that really Stefan Salvatore I see standing in my doorway?" Elena asked, her eyes opening slowly.

"It is. How can be at your service?" He replied, bowing gracefully, noting the small laugh he got in return.

"Come. Sit."

Stefan sat down in the chair next to her side of the bed, and stared at the woman before him, seeing the girl he once knew.

"How are you Stefan?"

"I'm doing ok. I'm glad you had Caroline get in touch with me, Elena, it would've broken my heart to not see you."

Elena nodded and slowly took his hand in hers.

"How are you really?"

Stefan sighed and looked down at their hands entwined. Guilt, rage, love, pain, all rose in chest, and he fought back tears.

"I'm alone, Elena, always. After everything that happened back then, all the terrible things I did, it's my punishment, to be alone. "

"Oh, Stefan, no. What happened …God, Stefan, there were so many forces at play. Klaus, hybrids, crazy witch spells. You were forced to give into your blood addiction to save Damon. It was something you did out of love Stefan, and things just got out of control. You can't beat yourself up over it anymore. Please. It breaks my heart to see you by yourself. You have a beautiful heart, Stefan, and someday, a wonderful girl will get to see it again, if you let them."

Stefan nodded solemnly and truly took Elena's words seriously to consider later. They sat together for awhile, a comfortable silence falling over the room, speaking to the amount of history they had.

"Stefan? Can you do something for me?"

"Of course, anything."

"I know that Damon is going to make it really hard for you two to get along again, but I'm really worried about him, and when I'm gone, he's going to be hard to deal with. Can you promise me you'll stick around and help him, even if he pushes you away?"

"I promise Elena, he's still my brother, even after everything we've been through, I can't let him down now, not after everything."

"Thanks, Stefan."

Elena smiled at Stefan and he smiled back, a true smile, and it made Elena feel better about leaving Damon. They returned to their silent contemplation, and Stefan stood up to leave, thinking Elena had fallen asleep. He moved slowly towards the door, turning back around at the sound of her voice.

"I forgive you, Stefan. I forgive you." Elena said quietly but firmly, making sure he knew it.

Stefan nodded back and walked back to her, kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you, Elena."


	13. Chapter 13: Beautiful Life

The end was coming soon, Damon could feel it. Elena's heartbeat was slowing down, skipping beats; her breath becoming more shallow, drawn out. He could no longer keep his walls up, every one could see his distress. Bloodshot eyes, drawn face, unkempt hair. Caroline had to practically force blood down his throat to keep him going, but they all knew he would never be the same.

He stood guard outside the bedroom door as friends and family slowly came up the stairs to say their goodbyes.

Bonnie, Caroline, and Tyler sat next to the bed, tears in their eyes, as Elena tried to keep up their strength for them.

"Say hi to Matt for us." Tyler said softly and Elena nodded in reply.

"I'll be there soon enough, Elena, I'm sure there will be some supernatural problems we will have to solve." Bonnie joked, and Elena smiled at her attempt to brighten the mood.

They all turned to Caroline, who in true Caroline fashion, was completely open with her emotions. Tears streamed down her face, and she gripped Elena's hand, shaking her head.

"I don't want you to go Elena, I don't."

"I know Care, but it's time. I wish it wasn't. But I need you to look after Damon for me, ok? Jeremy and Kenzie too, but its Damon I'm most worried about." Elena said, her own tears now forming in her eyes.

"I will, Elena, I promise."

They sat together for the morning, 4 friends from childhood, learning the most painful lesson of life.

"I love all of you. Tyler and Caroline, take care of each other please. And Bonnie –" Elena stopped, forcing herself to breath and not lose it completely.

"I'll miss you so much. I'll see you on the other side."

* * *

><p>Jeremy and Mackenzie spent the afternoon with Elena, trying to keep her mind occupied.<p>

"Everything is all set for the re-release of the _Mystic Falls _box set, Aunt Elena, everything came out really great, thank you for your help."

"You're welcome Kenz, I just wish I'd be around to see it."

Jeremy looked down at his hands, wishing desparately there was something he could do to keep his sister with them, for a few more days, a few more months, a year. But he knew there was nothing. Though she was a supernatural being, Elena would die a human death. He was silently thankful that she had lived a long life and wouldn't die tragically.

"Jeremy, I'm so proud of all you've accomplished in your life. You are the best little brother I could've ever had. I love you."

"I love you too, Elena. Thank you for everything you've done, helping me, helping Kenzie, I couldn't have done it without you." Jeremy replied, tears streaming down his face.

Elena turned towards Mackenzie, who was openly crying, and she took her hand, squeezing it with what little strength she had left.

"Aunt Elena, thank you for all you've done for me. You are like a mother to me, I love you so much." Mackenzie sobbed, resting her head on the bed.

"And I love you like a daughter. You are a truly wonderful person Kenzie. I'll see you again someday, ok?"

Jeremy and Mackenzie both hugged Elena for a long time, knowing this would be the last time they would see her alive. They left the room silently, meeting Damon in the hall, and Jeremy nodded to Damon, a sign that there were only hours left to Elena's life.

* * *

><p>Damon lay in bed with Elena, her body propped up against his, her head on his shoulder, her hands in his.<p>

"Are you comfortable?" Damon asked Elena quietly, wanting to make the end as painless for her as possible.

"I'm ok. You always were the best pillow." Elena replied, smiling up at Damon, kissing him softly.

Damon closed his eyes, and imprinted the memory into his mind.

"Damon, we've never really talked about what you'll do after I'm gone."

"All I know is I can't be here without you, I can't do it, Elena." Damon whispered, his biggest fear quickly coming true.

"I know, dear, but there's something I need you to do. I need you to wait and look after Kenzie for me, please. Who knows how many more years Jeremy has left, and I can't imagine Kenzie being alone. Please, wait until she's gone." Elena pleaded, her eyes locking on Damon's ocean eyes.

"I'll do it for you, Elena, and only for you."

She nodded and her eyes closed, her heart rate slowing even further. Damon's mind raced. He had been a predator for so long that he knew the steps to death like the back of his hand. Elena's time was coming and Damon was so helplessly unprepared.

"Damon?"

"Yes?" Damon responded, barely able to get the word out.

"I want you to compel me."

"What?" Damon asked, his eyes snapping open.

"I don't want our last moments together to be sad, I want a good ending for us Damon. You've given me such a beautiful life, please, give me something beautiful for the end."

Damon looked down into the eyes he loved so much, tears flowing freely down his face, and he could actually feel his heart breaking. He took a deep breath, determined to hold it together until Elena closed her eyes for the final time.

"Ok. I will do it. But first, let me say something. Thank you, Elena. Thank you for loving me, marrying me, sharing your life with me. I love you, I will always love you."

"Thank you for my life Damon, it was more than I could've imagined. I love you more than anyone I've ever loved in my life, you are part of me." Elena replied, as Damon wiped away her tears and his own.

They sat next to each for a long time, getting lost one last time in each other's eyes, waiting for the moment to come. Damon pulled Elena close, and hated the world for taking away his only love.

"It's time." Elena rasped, her heart rate becoming more irregular, her grip on Damon's hand loosening.

"Close your eyes, love. Close your eyes." Damon whispered in her ear.

_Elena and Damon were standing at the site of the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, surrounded by sunshine and fragrant flowers. Elena was wearing her blue pageant dress, and Damon was decked out in a suit._

"_How do you remember what I wore?" Elena asked, laughing._

"_I remember everything about that day, Elena. It was when I fell in love with you." Damon replied, taking her hand in his, leading her out to the patio._

"_You got to me that Damon, you got past all my walls, all the things I told myself I hated about you. It was one of the best moments of my life."_

_Damon smiled and from somewhere behind them, music began to play._

"_Gotta have our song playing," Damon smirked, as he pulled her close to him and they started to dance._

_Elena and Damon locked eyes as they did during the original dance, and Elena felt at peace. Damon kissed her and held her close to him, not wanting it to ever end. The music began to fade out and he clung to her hand desperately, knowing he only had seconds left._

"_I love you Damon. It was always you." Elena said, her hand on his cheek._

"_I love you too, Elena. I will always love you." Damon replied._

_He pulled her closer, and kissed her one last time, her hand in his hair, his hand on her waist._

Damon opened his eyes and the heartbeat that had been his soundtrack for nearly 60s years was gone.


	14. Chapter 14: Losing Your Memory

**A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers and everyone who has taken the time to read the story! I pretty much cried my eyes out writing the last few chapters, so I warn you, make sure you have tissues!**

**I am thinking of doing a companion piece of one shots that focus on specific, happier events of their life - Damon on family vacation anyone? Something more uplifting. If you are interested, please leave a review, and if you have a suggestion, leave that as well!**

* * *

><p>Damon sat on the floor of him and Elena's room after the funeral, a bottle of bourbon dangling from his fingers. His tie was tossed carelessly next to him, and his eyes flashed with anger and pain. He had barely made it through service without feeling like he needed to throw up. Caroline had practically dressed him that morning; Stefan half carrying him to the car.<p>

He kept his eyes closed, because when they were closed, nothing seemed real. He could see Elena in his mind, memories flooding through his head; her 18th birthday, their first date, the first time she said she loved him, the time Elena had nearly burnt down the house baking cookies with Mackenzie.

He felt a crushing pain in his chest, a searing burn as if his heart had been ripped out. But it was still there, and he wasn't sure how long he could survive the agony.

"Uncle Damon?" Mackenzie said quietly, coming into the room slowly.

He opened his eyes, remembering his promise to Elena. Mackenzie walked over to him and knelt beside him, her eyes red.

"Aunt Elena was helping me with the afterward for the book series. She wrote the last couple of paragraphs and asked me to give it to you after …. Well, after. So, here it is."

Damon took the paper she held out and put it in his lap, not sure if he was ready to read it.

"Is there anything I can do?" Mackenzie asked, watching his hands shake.

Damon shook his head, not sure if actual words would come out of his mouth.

"Do you remember the day you explained to me that my grandparents were dead?"

Damon nodded, looking over at Mackenzie.

"Do you remember what you said? Sometimes people leave when we don't want them to and that's why we have to love them as much as we can. You did all you could, Uncle Damon. You loved Aunt Elena more than anybody ever could've, and that's all she ever wanted. You were perfect."

Mackenzie hugged Damon and left the room, tears streaking her cheeks again, as she caught the suffering in his eyes.

Damon took a long drink from the bottle, needing to calm his nerves before reading what Mackenzie had given him.

_Karina didn't want to leave Dean, but she knew that it was her time to go, there was nothing left to be done. They had loved each other selflessly, completely, with their whole hearts. They had spent a lifetime together, sharing happiness and pain, sadness and grief, joy and elation. They had been meant to be from the moment they met._

_Dean held Karina, listening to her heart slow down, her lungs slowly giving out. He would've given everything and anything to have one more day with her, one more hour, one more minute, to make sure that she knew how much he loved her. But Karina knew, and in the moments before she died, she saw every memory they had in his eyes, the gray sky blue that she had found her home in._

"_I'll see you soon, Dean. I love you."_

_Dedicated to the real "Karina" and "Dean": My aunt and uncle Elena Gilbert Salvatore and Damon Salvatore. May your love be eternal._

* * *

><p>"Stefan, it's time." Damon said, walking into the library, throwing his suit jacket on the couch. Mackenzie's funeral had been held that morning, and Damon felt relief, his promise to Elena unbroken.<p>

"Are you sure, Damon?" Stefan replied, watching his brother throw back a large glass of bourbon, and pace in front of the fireplace.

"I'm sure. I can't … I can't go on anymore, Stefan, I can't do it. I'm sorry to leave you." Damon replied mournfully.

"I understand, Damon, I understand. If you feel it's the right time, tell me what I can do."

It had taken a long time after Elena's death, but Damon and Stefan had been able to repair their relationship over the years. Damon was never the same though, and Stefan knew he was just biding his time, watching over Mackenzie, until he could be with Elena once again.

"Tomorrow morning. At dawn." Damon said resolutely, pouring himself another glass, indulging in his last pleasure.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure, Stefan?" Caroline asked worriedly, tears building up, her hand clutching Tyler's arm.<p>

"I'm sure Care, he's been waiting for years; we all know it. He's going to do it tomorrow morning." Stefan replied sadly.

"What can we do?" Tyler asked.

"Come to the house tonight, say your goodbyes I guess."

"Go to Europe with us Stefan, get away for a bit."

"Maybe I will Caroline, once I get through tomorrow."

* * *

><p>Caroline and Tyler entered the boardinghouse cautiously, never sure where Damon's mood lay these days. They found him sitting in his favorite chair in front of the fireplace, an astounding number of empty liquor bottles lined up on the floor.<p>

"Damon?" Caroline asked quietly.

"Barbie. Wolfboy. You've come to say goodbye I presume? Stefan always was a sucker for epic goodbyes." Damon commented, standing up, tossing back what was left in his glass.

Caroline started crying and Damon rolled his eyes, but he took her in his arms and felt compassion for the girl who had finally become a good and trusted friend.

"Thank you Caroline, for everything." Damon whispered, closing his eyes.

Caroline nodded and clutched his shirt. Damon let her cry herself out, slowly rocking her back and forth.

"Can you do me a favor, Caroline? Watch over Stefan for me, try to find him a girl, would ya?" Damon asked, and Caroline laughed, nodding her head.

"Good luck with this one Tyler, make sure you get her an economy size box of tissues. Never know when the waterworks will start." Damon said to Tyler, shaking his hand.

"Take care, Damon. We'll do our best to keep an eye on Stefan for you."

"Say hi to Elena for me. Tell her I'm only letting you go because you need her." Caroline said through tears, flinging her arms around Damon one last time.

Damon watched the sun set and held a picture of himself and Elena in his hand, smiling at the memory.

"Damon, what can I do for you?" Stefan asked, walking over and standing beside Damon, watching the last of the sun sink beneath the trees.

"Take my ring." Damn replied, twisting it off his finger, holding it out to Stefan.

"Damon, I –"

"Stefan, I'm not going to need it anymore. The most important one is still with me." Damon said, pointing to his wedding ring.

Stefan nodded and took Damon's daylight ring.

"It's really happening then."

"Stefan I want you to be happy. Find someone who is worthy enough to need that ring; find someone you love. You know I never wanted this life. It's time to let it go."

* * *

><p>Stefan walked with Damon to the cemetery before dawn, hoping against hope his brother would change his mind. They stopped in front of Elena's grave, and Stefan knew Damon was going through with it.<p>

"Damon, I'm sorry for everything: for turning you, for hating you, for what I did to you and Elena. Please forgive me." Stefan pleaded, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I forgive you, brother. And really, if you hadn't made me complete the transition, I never would've met Elena. I never would've known what it was like to truly live." Damon replied, not seeing his centuries old brother in front of him, but the 17-year-old brother who he had died next to all those years before in 1864.

"Go to Europe with Caroline and Tyler, Stefan, go experience something new. Mystic Falls will always be here."

They stood together in silence for a few minutes, each knowing it would be the last time they saw each other.

"Damon, I love you." Stefan said, tears pooling and spilling over.

"I love you too, little brother." Damon replied, his own tears welling up as he hugged his brother for the last time.

Damon watched Stefan walk to the tree line, where they agreed he would stand and watch. Damon checked his watch and saw it was 35 minutes until sunrise. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial filled with a clear liquid.

"_Witchy. How are you?" Damon asked, approaching Bonnie's hospital bed._

"_Damon. I'm dying. How are you?" Bonnie replied, her voice raspy, chuckling at her own joke._

"_I'm going to miss you Bonnie. Wouldn't have imagined saying that when we first met, but here I am, saying it now. Old age has softened me." Damon said, taking Bonnie's hand in his._

"_I'll miss you too Damon. It took me a long time, but knowing that Elena loved you made me realize that underneath your jackass personality there is actually a really good person." Bonnie replied and they both laughed._

"_I called you here because there's something I need to tell you before I go. You know Elena's mother's jewelry box?" Bonnie asked, coughing. Damon nodded._

"_There's a false bottom. You'll find a vial in there. When you are ready to be with Elena again, drink that 30 minutes before sunrise. It will help take away the pain." _

"_Thank you, Bonnie."_

"_You're welcome. Elena asked me to work on it when she found out she was sick … she knew that you would end your life eventually. Promise me you will drink what's in that vial, Damon." Bonnie said, squeezing his hand tightly._

"_I promise."_

"_We'll see you soon enough Damon, I'll keep her company for you."_

Damon drank the last of the potion, facing the east as Bonnie told him to. He felt a strange sensation throughout his body, a calming feeling. He opened his eyes and his mouth fell open in shock.

"Hi Damon." Elena said, standing before him. She looked just as she did when they first met.

"Elena? Is it really you or am I hallucinating? How are you here?" Damon asked, his eyes wide.

"It's really me, Damon. I asked Bonnie to come up with a ghost potion of sorts, I wanted you to have a good memory of me, something to make you forget the pain."

Elena touched his face, and he raised his hand to cover hers, electricity shooting through his body as he realized they were actually touching each other.

"Dance with me, Damon." Elena said, smiling, holding out her other hand.

Damon twirled her around, smiling himself as Elena laughed. He pulled in her in close, putting his arm around her waist, the other tangling in her hair, as she put her arms around his neck.

"I miss you so much, love." Damon whispered, tears glinting in his eyes.

"I miss you too, but we'll be together now, always. I promise." Elena whispered back.

Stefan sagged against a tree, tears streaming down his face, as he watched his brother and Elena dance together in front of her grave. For a brooding guy, it was the most tragically beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"It's almost time." Elena said finally, looking into Damon's eyes, her hands tightening around his neck.

"What will happen?" Damon asked, suddenly afraid.

"Just keep holding me. I'll do the rest." Elena whispered, and Damon nodded.

"I would have loved you my whole life." Damon whispered back.

"You will. We still have forever Damon, just in a different way. I love you."

"I love you too."

Damon could feel the sun start to burn him, but he still looked into Elena's eyes, not feeling any pain.

Elena kissed him and he closed his eyes, focusing on all the feelings rushing through his body. She gripped his hair and he could feel the wind pick up around them as the sun finally made its way over the trees.

"Come with me." Elena said, pulling away, taking her hand in his. They walked towards the sun and Damon felt free.

Stefan walked across the cemetery quickly to Elena's grave. All that was left was a pile of ash, and a wedding ring.

* * *

><p><strong>Title inspired by Ryan Star's "Losing Your Memory"<strong>


	15. Epilogue

Stefan laid the ring on the table and wiped tears from his eyes, the girl next to him rubbing his hand softly in hers.

"What I did to them, now that you know … I understand if you don't want to turn anymore, if you don't want to be with me anymore. It was awful. I was awful." Stefan said quietly, looking at the girl he loved next to him, the only one since Elena who could bring him to tears.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Stefan. And when you have an eternity to live, the guilt is going to try to fight its way into your heart every day. But Stefan, in the end, you did what Damon needed. You helped him to get back to Elena. You let him go, and that was the most selfless you could've ever done for him. You let your brother go so that he wouldn't suffer anymore."

She put her other hand to his face, holding it steady, to look into his eyes. Stefan missed his brother more than anything, more than being human. But he knew he had promised to find happiness, and he couldn't let Damon down.

"If you want to turn still, I want you to have my brother's ring. He asked me to give it to someone who was worthy of it, someone I love. And I love you. I hope you will take it."

She stared at Stefan for a long time, never let her gaze waver from his own, and she finally leaned over and picked up the ring. Stefan felt relief wash over his body and he could see Damon in his mind, nodding and smiling. This was right.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I went back and forth on ending this story at the last chapter, but I thought a little epilogue would give it closure. Thank you again to all of my awesome reviewers and readers, much love!**

**Please check out my new story, "Feel This", a companion piece to this story, a series of one shots over the course of Damon and Elena's life together.**


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